1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates generally to industrial soil compaction devices and, more particularly, to pressure adjustable, soil-cleating attachment for front of bulldozers.
2. Description of the Related Art
Environmental concerns over the growing number and size of landfills have resulted in concerted efforts to maximize their efficiency. Among these efforts, it is a common practice to compact and cleat the refuse and soil in the landfill in order to minimize soil erosion caused by water runoff.
Cleating the landfill surface creates divots that catch the water, preventing it from collecting into streams that rapidly erodes the soil as it runs. Typically, the compacting and cleating are achieved by using specialized tracks on the bulldozers that are used to organize and manage the landfill.
However, there is a drawback to this practice in that the area between the bulldozer tracks is left untouched as it passes and, as a result, several passes are required, a waste of both time and money. Tow-behind, water filled, cleated rollers have been used to fill the gap between the tracks, however they are difficult to manage due to their excessive weight.
Accordingly, there is a need for a means by which cleating can be performed on landfills and other excavation sites that require erosion prevention in a cheap and efficient manner.
In the related art, several patents describe a soil leveling apparatus or implement for tractors or bulldozers. These include U.S. Pat. No. 5,713,418, issued in the name of Warren et. al., U.S. Pat. No. 5,024,280 issued in the name of Mork, U.S. Pat. No. 4,924,945 issued in the name of Mork, U.S. Pat. No. 4,113,026 issued in the name of Van der Lely et. al. and U.S. Pat. No. 4,098,344 issued in the name of Johnson.
U.S. Pat. No. 4,878,544 issued in the name of Barnhart discloses a roller attachment to the rear of a bulldozer.
Several patents disclose an attachment blade for a bulldozer that works on a hydraulic system. These include U.S. Pat. No. 4,552,226 issued in the name of Platter and U.S. Pat. No. 4,135,583 issued in the name of Becker, U.S. Pat. No. 4,384,620 issued in the name of Uchida et. al. discloses a multi-purpose blade device.
A search of the prior art did not disclose any patents that read directly on the claims of the instant invention. Consequently, a need has been felt for providing an apparatus and method which overcomes the problems cited above.